BCLA urges wearers to buy their lenses with care in response to article in The Sun Newspaper

The British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) is urging contact lens wearers to always buy their contact lenses under the supervision of a registered practitioner and in person.

BCLA President, Dr Catharine Chisholm, commented:

“Contact lens wearers who buy lenses from sources other than their eyecare practitioner have been shown to be less likely to follow good eyecare health practices, including being less likely to attend regular aftercare check-ups”

“A recent study reported that the risk of contact lens-related microbial keratitis – a potentially sight-threatening inflammation of the cornea – was 4.8 times more likely in those that purchased their lenses online compared to directly from their eyecare practitioner”

“Thankfully it is extremely rare for someone to develop an eye infection as a result of contact lens wear – and even less common for this to result in a loss of vision or the eye itself,” added Dr Chisholm